Mental Health Services

GOALS, VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

Washington County endeavors to create a mental health system that incorporates our values and principles in every aspect of planning, implementation and service delivery.

Assure Services are Person Centered: Services are directed by individual and family choices and service planning is collaborative. Focus is on individuals taking personal responsibility for their services with the mental health professional sharing knowledge and resources in a supportive manner.

Assure Services are Strengths-Based and Recovery Oriented: Individuals and families and their mental health professionals will adopt the belief that people can recover from a mental illness by building upon individual strengths. Services will focus on identifying each person’s strengths and resources, and building upon these to meet the goals that the individual or family has identified.

Assure Services are High Quality: Services provided are evidence-based practices that have been empirically validated or reflect best practices in the field. Service providers continually evaluate efficacy, quality assurance and satisfaction.

Assure Services are Coordinated, Efficient and Cost-Effective: Our system of care will minimize fragmentation and meet the priority needs of low income, underinsured and uninsured Washington County residents in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

Practice Strong Community Partnership Values: We value working with other governments, businesses and community organizations to realize goals and adopt inclusive decision whenever possible.

Services are Holistic: An individual or family’s mental health services are only a single component of their well-being. Emphasis is placed on identifying and addressing other needs in conjunction with their mental illness.

Services include Family/Support: There will be recognition of the supportive role family and other significant individuals play in a person’s life and efforts made to include these individuals in service planning whenever possible.

Services are Accessible: Services will be readily accessible by assuring that service sites are geographically located throughout Washington County; that access is available in a timely manner; that languages other than English will not be a barrier; and that there will be “no wrong door” in that individuals may access services through multiple avenues.

Services are Culturally Competent: Culture determines our world view and provides a general design for living and patterns for interpreting reality that are reflected in our behavior. Therefore, services that are culturally competent are provided by individuals who have the skills to recognize and respect the behavior, ideas, attitudes, values, beliefs, customs, language, rituals, ceremonies and practices characteristic of a particular group of people.

Services are Community-Based or Provided in the Least Restrictive Environment Possible: Services take place in settings that are the most natural for the individual or family. The least restrictive or intrusive interventions are utilized to meet the individual or family’s needs.

Services are Collaborative: Services are not provided in isolation of other human service providers but rather in collaboration to assure the individual or family’s needs are met in the most effective manner possible. Other providers may include a primary care physician, social services providers, employment specialists, substance use treatment providers, criminal justice, and any other human service provider that is involved in the client’s care.